Stoker



P. A. KETCHPEL 2,013,467

. STOKER original Filed oct. 24. 1951 2 sheets-sheet 1 sept. 3, 1935.

Sept. 3, 1935. P. A. KETCHPEL 2,013,467

STOKER Original F-iled Oct. 24, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

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Patented Sept. 3, 1935 ries STOKER Paul A. Ketchpel, Englewood, N. 3., assignor to IEhe Standard Stoker Sompany, Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Application October 24, 1931, Serial N o. 570,878 Renewed. February d, 1935 16 Claims.

The invention relates to locomotive stokers of the type that transfer fuel from the tender to the locomotive rebox.

One object of the invention is the provision of j a chute hinged to and when closed, forming part of the locomotive cab deck and when open aifoiding a passageway for manual delivery of fuel through the deck into a Stoker fuel conduit disposed thereunder.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting of the Stoker fuel conduits on the locomotive and tender and a further ob' ject is the provision of an improved connection between such conduits.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a novel driving arrangement for the Stoker in which the power transmitting elements are related with each other so as to occupy space on the locomotive and tender heretofore unused.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a Stoker comprising a fuel transferring conveyor and a fuel delivering conveyor offset from each other at their adjacent ends, the conveyors being operable by a novel and compact driving means so arranged that when extraneous material in the transfer conveyor stalls the Stoker, the operation of the delivery conveyor may be continued and the fuel fed manually thereto for introduction into the rebox.

Other and further objects of the invention reside in the novel organization of the stoker elements productive of a new and improved Stoker mechanism as will be apparent to those skilled 5, in the art when the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the adjacent portions of a locomotive and its tender showing the invention in similar section;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the forward portion of the Stoker shown in Figure 1, with portions broken away;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig@ ure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line E S of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a View taken on the line 7 1 of Figure 1 with the door in the position as shown by conventional lines in Figure 1; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 1.

On the drawings, the locomotive is shown at A, its tender at B, and a coupling member therebetween at C. The locomotive is of usual construction and comprises a boiler l0, having a. fireboX Il, the grates l2, the backwall I3, and a firing opening l therethrough. Extending rearwardly of the boiler backwall is a cab l5 which is supported by a deck I6 and a plate I1, secured to the frame i8 of the locomotive. The tender B includes a tank i9 supported by the tender underfraine 2) which is preferably of the water bottom type. The forward portion of the tank i9 is recessed to form a fuel bin 2l above its door 22 and a Stoker compartment 23, below said floor.

A Stoker, generally indicated by S, receives fuel from the fuel bin 2| through an aperture 24 in the floor 22 thereof, controlled by the shiftable plate 25, and conveys the fuel forwardly to the firing opening lli of the boiler, there to be projected into the iirebox by the action of a pressure head 26, which issues blasts of pressure fluid 'across the distributing plate 2l. The Stoker S comprises a transfer conduit 28, provided with the screw conveyor 2@ therein and a riser or fuel delivery conduit Sil with a screw conveyor 3l therein for receiving the fuel from said transfer conduit conveyor screw and delivering it onto the distributing plate 2l for projection to all parts of the rebox grates I2.

The riser conduit Sii is secured to the flrebox backwall by the fiange member 32, 32a and is further supported by a foot member 33 which rests on the locomotive frame i8 and is slidable thereon to permit the rearward movement of the riser conduit when the locomotive boiler `lil expands. The mouth portion 34 of the riser conduit communicates with the lower portion of the firing opening lli while the upper portion is closed by a redoor 35. A removable hood 36 Surmounts the delivery end of the riser conduit Sil.

Suitable means for driving the screw conveyors 29 and 3l are provided which include a motor 40, secured to the flange di which depends from said riser conduit 3Q, for imparting motion to said screws through Suitable gearing. A web 42, depending frorn said riser conduit, is provided with the bearings i3 and i4 for receiving the motor shaft i5 and the gear shaft A6, respectively. The

motor shaft i5 is provided with a pinion 4l engaging the gear i8 on one end of the shaft 46. The opposite end of the shaft l5 carries a gear 49 engaging the gear 5t which is operatively coni nected to the shaft portion 5| of the screw conveyor 3i. The shaft portion 5l bears in the cover 52 which serves as a closure for the lower portion of the riser conduit.

The gear shaft d5 is supported by a bearing 53 of the foot member 33 and is hollow as at 58 for rotatably receiving the shaft 55. This shaft is provided with an angular portion 55 on which a clutch 51 is slidablj,7 mounted. The clutch 51 is provided with teeth 58 engageable by the teeth 59 of the gear t9 by means of the shifting member B8 connected to the pivoted lever 8i which is within reach of the fireman. It will be apparent that when the clutch 51 engages the teeth 59 of the gear 5.9, power will then be transmitted to the shaft 55 for operating the transfer conveyor screw 29 as by means of the gearing 82, connected to said rotatably mounted shaft 55 by the extensible shaft 63 provided with the universal joints 64 and 65. A stud Vitil? in the shaft 58 engages the peripheral groove mi of the shaft 55 and prevents longitudinal movement thereof.

The motor is secured to the flange 4I of the riser conduit, preferably, on the vertical longituclinal center line thereof. Thus the motor occupies the space directly beneath the riser conduit, which space heretofore had not been utilized. This motor mounting permits the gearing and the extensible universally pointed shaft to be located centrally of the Stoker. The initial angle at which the universal joints and will normally operate is therefore greatly reduced, insuring long life of these parts. By the construction herein set forth, the gear shaft 58, the shaft 55 and the telescopic shaft S3 may,T be termed as a drive shaft extending longitudinally of the locomotive and tender, such drive shaft being driven by a motor at one extreme end, having gearing at the opposite end for driving the transfer conduit screw 2S, and gearing intermediate its ends for driving the screw 3| in the riser conduit 38.

The transfer conduit 28 is supported in the saddle 66 which is secured to the transfer conduit as by rivets, the saddle being slidably received by the pedestal 61 integrally formed with the tender underframe 20. The top wall 58 of the pedestal 61 is provided with a substantially T-shaped longitudinal aperture or slot 69 which receives the pintle 18 of the saddle 68. A flange 1| is formed with said pintle at the underside thereof, and when inserted in the T-shaped aperture, serves, together with the pintle. 18, to flexibly support said transfer conduit in said compartment 23, the conduit being free to swing about the pintle 18 and to slide longitudinally in the aperture 69. Sufiicient clearance is allowed between the underside of said pedestal top wall 83 and the adjacent face of the flange 1i so that the transfer conduit may assume an angular position in relation to the riser conduit when the locomotive and tender are crossing rail connections or turntables.

Fuel is delivered into the riser conduit through the hopper 12 having an opening 13 in the top wall thereof, and a rearward portion 'hit substantially U-shaped in vertical transverse cross section for flexibly receiving the upturned portion 15 of the transfer conduit. A pin 15 passes through the top wall Ti of said upturned portion and engages the resilient member 18 which is secured to the sidewalls 19 and 15a; of the riser conduit hopper 12 and exerts a downward pres sure on said top wall 1l. The upturned portion 15 of the transfer conduit is boxshaped, the upright walls 88, 88a of which are provided with the outameno? wardly curved surfaces 8i and 81a, respectively, receivable by said U-shaped rearward portion 14 of the riser conduit, whereby the transfer conduit may swing laterally about said pin 16 and vertically by means of the resilient member 18. The pin 18 retains the conduits in their proper relation with each other.

Immediately above the opening 13, the cab deck i8 is apertured at 82 which aperture is closed by a cover plate 83 hinged as at 84. The cover plate 83 comprises a pair of arcuate flanges 85 and 85a, each of which depends from the sideward extremities of said cover plate 83 into the chamber 12 adjacent the sidewalls 19, 19a respectively thereof. The cover plate 83 is provided with a rearward extension 86, which, when the cover plate is in an opened position, extends into the hopper 12 and, together with the arcuate flanges 85, 85a and a plate 81 between the decky i5 and the top wall of the chamber 12, forms a passageway from the cab deck into the riser conduit. A latch 88 may be used to engage the opening 89 in the arcuate flange 85 for retaining said cover plate in an opened position as shown in Figure '1. In effect the cover plate 83 and its associated parts form a chute hinged in the cab deck.

Thus should the transfer conduit become inoperative due to derangement of some of its parts, the fireman may disconnect the transfer conduit from its operative relation with the riser conduit by shifting the lever 6l to disengage the clutch 51 from the gear 49, thereby permitting only the riser conduit screw to operate. The cover plate 83 may then be raised to its open position as described and a quantity of fuel may be placed manually into the hopper l2. The fuel may be heaped over the opening in the cab deck so that the supply need not be replenished too rapidly, thereby permitting the fireman to attend to his other duties. The arcuate flanges 85, 85a, together with the cover plate 83 serve to intercept the fuel shovelled by the fireman, thereby guiding all of the fuel into the chamber 12.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention provides a stoker of the class de scribed which is compact, flexible in operation and in which are embodied the features of novelty, substantially as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: l

l. In a locomotive, in combination, a cab, a deck therefor having an opening therein, a Stoker conduit having an upwardly opening hopper portion disposed below said deck beneath said opening, and a chute hinged to thedeok and being movable in said opening, said chute when in its lowest position forming a closure for said opening and when in its highest position forming a guideway for manual delivery of fuel from the cab through the deck into said stoker conduit hopper portion.

2. The combination with a locomotive having a rebox, a backwall for said flrebox and a cab extending rearwardly of.- said backwall, a deck for said cab, a tender for said locomotive and a fuel bin on said tender, of a stoker condufirJ for delivering fuel to said rebox, an upwardly operiing hopper in said Stoker conduit arranged to receive fuel, said hopper being beneath said cab deck and communicating withl said lcab through an opening in the deck thereof., and a hinged cover plate for said opening, said cover plate including an arcuate flange extending downwardly from each, of the sideward extremities' of said cover plate, said hinged cover when in and open position forming, together with said arcuate flanges, a channel enclosed on three sides arranged to intercept fuel which is transferred manually from said tender fuel bin to said stoker conduit hopper.

3. The combination with a locomotive having a ilrebox, a backwall for said iirebox and a cab extending rearwardly of said backwall, a deck for said cab, a tender for said locomotive and a fuel bin on said tender, of a stoker conduit for delivering fuel to said ilrebox, an upwardly opening hopper in said Stoker conduit arranged toreceive fuel, said hopper being beneath said cab and communicating with said cab through an opening in the deck thereof, a hinged cover plate for said opening, said cover plate including an arcuate Ilange extending downwardly from each of the sideward extremities of said cover plate, said hinged cover when in an open position forming, together with said arcuate ilanges a channel enclosed on three sides arranged to intercept fuel which is transferred manually from said tender fuel bin to said Stoker conduit hopper, and a latch engaging one of the arcuate flanges for retaining said cover plate in an opened position.

4. In a locomotive having a backwall provided with a firing opening therethrough, a cab extending rearwardly of said backwall, a deck for said cab, a tender for said locomotive and a fuel bin on said tender, a stoker including a fuel transfer conduit on said tender receiving fuel from said fuel bin, a riser conduit on said loco-motive, said riser conduit receiving fuel from said fuel transfer conduit and delivering it to said firing ope-ning, an upwardly opening hopper in said riser conduit, said hopper being beneath said cab deck and communicating with said cab through an opening in the deck thereof, a hinged cover plate for said opening, said cover plate including an arcuate flange extending downwardly from each of the sideward extremities of said cover plate, said hinged cover when in an open position forming, together with said arcuate flanges, a channel enclosed on three sides arranged to intercept fuel which is transferred manually from said tender fuel bin to said Stoker conduit hopper, and a latch engaging one of the arcuate flanges for retaining said cover plate in an opened position.

5. In combination with a locomotive tender having a frame, a Stoker compartment, a stoker transfer conduit received by said compartment, a pedestal formed with said frame, said pedestal including a longitudinally apertured top wall, and a saddle formed with said transfer conduit for supporting the same from said pedestal, said saddle being provided with a pintle engaging said longitudinally apertured top wall whereby said transfer conduit may slide longitudinally and rotate about said pintle.

6. In a locomotive having a backwall provided with a firing opening therethrough and a tender for said locomotive, a Stoker including a riser conduit on said locomotive arranged to deliver fuel to said firing opening, a fuel transfer conduit mounted on said tender for delivering fuel to said riser conduit, a screw conveyor in said transfer conduit, gearing operatively associated therewith, a screw conveyor in said riser conduit, a gear mounted on a shaft extension of said riser conduit screw, a hollow gear shaft, a motor, said hollowed gear shaft at one end being provided with a gear engaging said riser conduit screw gear and at the opposite end being operatively connected to said motor, a shaft rotatably mounted within said hollow gear shaft, said rotatably mounted shaft having an angular portion, a shaft connecting said rotatably mounted shaft and the gearing associated with said transfer conduit screw, and a clutch member slidably mounted on the angular portion of said rotatably mounted shaft for selective engagement and disengagement of said gear shaft with said rotatably mounted shaft.

7. In a locomotive having a backwall provided with a ring opening therethrough and a tender for said locomotive, a stoker including a riser conduit on said locomotive arranged to deliver fuel to said firing opening, a fuel transfer conduit mounted on said tender, said transfer conduit arranged to deliver fuel to said riser conduit and being flexibly related therewith, a screw conveyor in said transfer conduit, gearing operatively associated therewith, a screw conveyor in said riser conduit, a gear mounted on a shaft extension of said riser conduit screw, a hollow gear shaft, a motor, said hollow gear shaft at one end being provided with a gear engaging said riser conduit screw gear and at the opposite end being operatively connected to said motor, a shaft rotatably mounted within said hollow gear shaft,

said rotatably mounted shaft having an angular portion, an extensible shaft connecting said rotatably mounted shaft and the gearing associated with said transfer conduit screw, and a clutch member slidably mounted on the angular portion of said rotatably mounted shaft for selective engagement and disengagement of said gear shaft with said rotatably mounted shaft.

8. In a locomotive having a backwall provided with a firing opening therethrough and a tender for said locomotive, a stoker including a riser conduit on said locomotive arranged to deliver fuel to said firing opening, a fuel transfer conduit mounted on said tender, said transfer conduit arranged to deliver fuel to said riser conduit and being flexibly related therewith, a screw conveyor in said transfer conduit, gearing operatively associated therewith, a screw conveyor in said riser conduit, a gear mounted on a shaft extension of said riser conduit screw, a hollow gear shaft, a flange depending from the underside of said riser conduit, a motor secured to said flange, means operatively connecting said motor and said hollow gear shaft, a gear formed with said gear shaft, said gear meshing with said riser conduit screw gear, a shaft rotatably mounted within said hollow gear shaft, said rotatably mounted shaft having an angular portion, an extensible shaft connecting said rotatably mounted shaft and thegearing associated with said transfer conduit screw, and a clutch member slidably mounted on the angular portion of said rotatably mounted shaft for selective engagement and disengagement of said gear shaft with said rotatably mounted shaft.

9. In combination, a locomotive and a tender, a Stoker including a flexible feed conduit comprising a fuel transfer conduit on said tender and a fuel delivery conduit on said locomotive, said delivery conduit receiving the adjacent end of said transfer conduit,` and a resilient member secured to said delivery conduit for exerting a yieldable pressure on said transfer conduit whereby said conduits may assume an angular relation with each other.

10. In combination, a locomotive and a tender, a stoker including a flexible feed conduit comprising a fuel transfer conduit on said tender and a fuel delivery conduit on said locomotive,

said delivery conduit receiving the adjacent end of said transfer conduit, a resilient member secured to said delivery conduit for exerting a yieldable pressure on said transfer conduit, and a pin passing through said resilient member whereby said conduits are maintained in a flexible relation.

11. In a locomotive having a iirebox and a tender for said locomotive, a Stoker including a fuel transfer conduit flexibly mounted on said tender and a fuel delivery conduit mounted on the locomotive, said delivery conduit arranged to receive fuel from said transfer conduit and to deliver it to said frebox, said fuel delivery conduit at its rearward end being substantially U- shaped in its vertical transverse cross section, the forward portion of said fuel transfer conduit being receivable by said delivery conduit U-shaped portion, said transfer conduit forward portion being substantially box shaped in vertical transverse cross section and including sidewalls having outward curved surfaces and a top wall, and a resilient member secured to said delivery conduit for exerting a downward pressure upon said top wall.

12. In a loco-motive having a iirebox and a tender'for said locomotive, a stoker including a fuel transfer conduit flexibly mounted on said tender and a fuel delivery conduit mounted on 30' the locomotive, said delivery conduit arranged to receive fuel from said transfer conduit and to deliver it to said rebox, said fuel delivery conduit at its rearward end being substantially U- shaped in its vertical transverse cross section, the forward portion of said fuel transfer conduit being receivable by said delivery conduit U- shaped portion, said transfer conduit forward portion being substantially box shaped in vertical transverse cross section and including sidewalls having o-utward curving surfaces and a top wall, a resilient member secured to said delivery conduit for exerting a downward pressure upon said top wall, and a pin passing through said top wall and said resilient member.

13. In a locomotive, in combination, a cab, a deck therefor having an opening therein, a Stoker conduit having an upwardly opening hopper portion disposed below said `deck beneath said opening, and a chute hinged at the opening of the deck and being movable in said opening, said chute when in its lowest position forming a closure for said opening and when in its highest position forming a guideway for manual delivery of fuel from the cab through the deck into said Stoker conduit hopper portion.

14. In combination, a locomotive and a tender, a stoker including a flexible feed conduit comprising a fuel transfer conduit on said tender and a fuel delivery conduit on said locomotive, said delivery conduit receiving the adjacent end of said transfer conduit, and a resilient member secured toV one of said conduits for exerting a yieldable pressure on the other of said conduits whereby said conduits may assume an angular relation with each other.

15. In a stoker for transferring fuel from a source of supply to a furnace, the combination of a transfer conduit receiving fuel from the source of supply, a delivery conduit at one end arranged to receive fuel from the transfer conduit and at its opposite end delivering the fuel into the furnace, a conveyor screw in said transfer conduit, a conveyor screw in said delivery conduit, said first named conveyor screw arranged with its fuel discharge end offset from the fuel receiving end of the second conveyor screw, means for driving said conveyor screws including a set of gears at that end ofthe rst named conveyor screw remote from its fuel discharge end, a second set of gears disposed forward of the rst set operatively connected to the fuel receiving end of the second named conveyor screw, a shaft extending between and operatively connecting the sets of gears, a motor operatively connected to one end of said shaft for imparting motion thereto, and a clutch device operatively associated with said drive means for actuating the second named conveyor screw independently of the rst named conveyor screw, said delivery conduit having an auxiliary opening therein whereby fuel may be fed manually through such opening onto the flights of the second named conveyor screw.

16. In a stoker for transferring fuel fromva source of supply to a furnace, the combination of a transfer conduit receiving fuel from the source of supply, a delivery conduit at one end arranged to receive fuel from the transfer conduit and at its opposite end delivering the fuel into the furnace, a conveyor screw in said transfer conduit, a conveyor screw in said delivery conduit, said rst named conveyor screw arranged with its fuel discharge end offset from the fuel receiving end of the second conveyor screw, means for driving said conveyor screws including a set of gears at that end of the rst named conveyor screw remote from its fuel discharge end, a second set of gears disposed forward of the first set operatively connected to the fuel receiving end of the second named conveyor screw, a shaft extending between and operatively connecting rthe sets of gears, a motor operatively connected to an end of said shaft adjacent said second set of gearing, and a clutch device operatively associated with said drive means for actu'- ating the second named conveyor screw independently of the first named conveyor screw, said delivery conduit having an auxiliary opening therein whereby fuel may be fed manually through such opening into the nights ofthe second named conveyor screw.

PAUL A. KETCHPEL. 

